The European Parliament condemns Iran’s attack on Israel and calls for de-escalation

• MEPs strongly condemn the recent Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel and call on Iran and Israel to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation.
• Parliament deplores the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, stating that diplomatic and consular buildings are protected under international law
• MEPs call for the safe and immediate release of all hostages from the vessel “Galaxy Leader”, including two Bulgarian, one Romanian and three Ukrainian citizens
• Iran must comply with its obligations under the country’s nuclear deal
• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should be added to the EU’s anti-terrorist list

In a resolution passed on Thursday, MEPs strongly condemned Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel and called for further sanctions against Iran.

Condemning the Iranian attack on 13 and 14 April, the Parliament expresses serious concern about the escalation and the threat to regional security. MEPs reiterate their full support for the security of the State of Israel and its citizens and condemn the simultaneous missile attacks carried out by Iranian proxy forces, namely the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthis against the Golan Heights and Israeli territory before and during the Iranian attack.

At the same time, they deplored the attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus on April 1, which was largely attributed to Israel. The resolution recalls the importance of the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular buildings, which according to international law must be respected in all cases.

Need to de-escalate, include IRGC on EU list of terrorist organizations

Calling on all parties to avoid any further escalation and to exercise maximum restraint, Parliament expresses deep concern about the destabilizing role that the Iranian regime and its network of non-state actors are playing in the Middle East. MEPs welcomed the EU’s decision to extend the current sanctions regime against Iran, including by sanctioning Iran’s supply and production of unmanned drones and missiles to Russia and the wider Middle East region. They are demanding that these sanctions be implemented as a matter of urgency and are calling for more individuals and entities to be targeted.

The resolution also reiterates Parliament’s long-standing call for the IRGC to be added to the EU’s list of terrorist organizations, given that over the past 30 years the organization has been involved in the planning and/or execution of dozens of operations, assassinations and terrorist attacks on EU territory, including the 2012 bus bombing in Bulgaria that killed five Israelis and one Bulgarian citizen. MEPs are also calling on the Council and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to add Hezbollah to the same list.

Iran must comply with its obligations under the country’s nuclear deal

As Iran continues to breach its legal obligations under the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, MEPs are calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately comply with their obligations and settle all related outstanding issues. They also condemn Iran’s use of the so-called hostage diplomacy — holding foreign nationals in prison as a bargaining chip — and urge the EU to launch a counter-strategy with the help of a special task force to better support the families of detainees and effectively prevent future hostage-taking.

Release of all hostages, including Bulgarian citizens

Finally, the resolution welcomes the Council’s decision to launch the EU naval operation ASPIDES to ensure freedom of navigation off the coast of Yemen. MEPs urge the EU and its Member States to consolidate and intensify all efforts to ensure the safe and immediate release of all hostages from the vessel Galaxy Leader, including two Bulgarian, one Romanian and three Ukrainian nationals, who have been held by the Houthis since 19 November 2023 onwards.

The text also calls on Iran and its controlled groups to guarantee the release of the Portuguese-flagged vessel MSC Aries and its European crew.

For full details, the resolution, passed by 357 votes to 20 with 58 abstentions, will be available in full here (25/04/2024).